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Small pets

When to move GP's back to their outdoor hutch?

6 replies

LaFlottes · 09/03/2015 11:24

Hi - our GP's stayed out all winter last year, with loads of hay and heat pads etc. This winter, we brought them into the conservatory and they have been there since the beginning of December.

What kind of night time temperatures do you think we should wait for until we move them back into their outdoor hutch? I am keen to get them back out into that hutch as it's a lot larger than their indoor one, plus I'd like to get my conservatory back at some point!!

We live in the South East of England and currently temps are around 10 in the day time but a few days next week it's forecast to go down to 3 degrees over night.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 09/03/2015 11:41

here too we;ve had 14 c by day but YY the overnight temps this week don't look good.

We're looking at checking next week to see.
My ladies are littering up the small bedroom, I'm torn between itching to get them out and worrying when they do.

Ours go outside by day (but they're in a Pighouse (glorified playhouse shed) with a Snugglepad, big fresh hay bed and a heater to take the chill off - spoiled little madams .

It;s not so much the temperature (they can snuggle into hay to insulate) it;s the claggy damp weather that's the worry here.

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 09/03/2015 11:42

Should be South East here too

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LaFlottes · 09/03/2015 11:47

Thank you! I think I will do the same and keep an eye on things next week. I might start putting them in their outside hutch during the day with loads of hay and their snugglepads, just to get them used to it again!

They are so spoiled but so cute!

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millimat · 09/03/2015 22:20

Does a snugglepad retain heat for long? I worry it will get chewed?

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70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/03/2015 10:44

milimat I've got one that I bought for my original boars ( IIRC 2011 ) it's still going strong, they haven't attacked it. I do wrap it in newspaper to make it nicer to sit on ( not sure if my pigs would sit on it directly , hard smooth plastic isn't their first choice) but the fleece cover absolutely Stank after one night so I removed it completely (had to keep on washing it)

They seem pleasantly tepid after about 8 hours , (I've never found it to last 10 like it claims).

I think the chewing depends on if your pigs are little vandals and the risk of microwaving. I've seen no damage on mine but I don't know if I'd use it next winter, might be time for a new one (need to go and RTFI )